This invention relates generally to bottled water stations of the type adapted to receive and support a water bottle in an inverted position, and to selectively dispense water therefrom. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved bottle cap and valve assembly designed for contamination-free delivery of water from a water bottle to an underlying station reservoir, wherein the water delivery occurs smoothly and substantially without glugging to minimize or eliminate bottle fatigue associated therewith.
Bottled water dispenser stations are well-known in the art for containing a supply of relatively purified water in a convenient manner and location ready for substantially immediate dispensing and use. Such bottled water stations commonly include an upwardly open water reservoir mounted within a station housing and adapted to receive and support an inverted water bottle of typically three to five gallon capacity. Water within the inverted bottle flows downwardly into the station reservoir for selective dispensing therefrom through a faucet valve on the front of the station housing. Such bottled water stations are widely used to provide a clean and safe source of water for drinking and cooking, especially in areas where the local water supply contains or is suspected to contain undesired levels of contaminants.
In bottled water stations of the above-described type, the water bottle is normally provided in a clean and preferably sterile condition with an appropriate sealing cap to prevent contamination of the water contained therein. When an inverted bottle on a station housing reaches an empty condition, the empty bottle can be lifted quickly and easily from the station housing and replaced by a filled bottle having the sealing cap removed therefrom. The empty bottle can then be returned to a bottled water vendor for cleaning and refilling.
While bottled water stations are widely used to provide a clean and safe supply of fresh water, undesired contamination of the bottled water can sometimes occur. For example, exterior surfaces of a bottle cap and the associated bottle neck can contact dirt and/or other contaminants in the course of bottle handling and storage prior to use. Removal of the bottle cap followed by installation of the bottle in an inverted position onto a station housing is frequently accompanied by a portion of the water contacting exterior surfaces of the bottle neck. Moreover, when the bottle is installed onto the station housing, at least a portion of the bottle neck is normally immersed within the water contained within the station reservoir. As a result, the potential exists for washing dirt and other contaminants from the exterior of the bottle neck into the station reservoir, thereby contaminating the bottled water supply.
In the past, a variety of valve arrangements have been proposed in an effort to prevent contamination in a bottled water station. Such valve arrangements have typically envisioned a moveable valve member as part of a bottle cap, wherein the valve member is opened in the course of installing the water bottle onto the station housing. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,699,188; 4,874,023; and 4,991,635. However, these devices have not completely prevented small quantities of the water from contacting external bottle neck surfaces, particularly when a bottle is removed from the station housing in a partially filled condition. Moreover, these proposed prior art valve arrangements have not adequately provided for reclosure of the bottle cap upon bottle removal in a partially filled condition, or have otherwise provided closable bottle caps having complex constructions which are both difficult and costly to produce.
Another problem encountered in bottled water stations involves bottle failure as a result of mechanical fatigue attributable to significant and rapid pressure fluctuations during downward water flow to the station reservoir. More particularly, the downward water flow from the bottle is characterized by a substantial glugging or gurgling action as water flowing downwardly from the bottle is exchanged with air passing upwardly from the station reservoir into the bottle interior. That is, a surge of water flows by gravity from the bottle until a sufficient negative pressure is created within the bottle interior, at which time water flow is briefly interrupted by an upward surge of air from the station reservoir. This alternating water and air flow surge action is the result of significant pressure variations within the bottle interior and subjects the bottle structure to significant mechanical fatigue. With modern plastic water bottles, the mechanical fatigue is visually and audibly apparent as the bottle bottom flexes back-and-forth during the glugging action. Unfortunately, the bottom of a plastic bottle is particularly subject to failure since it encounters frequent scratches and nicks in the course of normal bottle handling, and thereby includes structurally weakened areas which are susceptible to cracking or splitting during water delivery.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for further improvements in bottled water stations and related dispensing valve apparatus for maintaining a bottled water supply in a substantially clean and sterile condition, and further for dispensing the bottled water to a station reservoir in a smooth and efficient manner with little or no mechanical fatigue applied to the water bottle. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.